Even Though I'm Leaving
by DragonSlayer400
Summary: Based on the Song by Luke Combs. Primarily Natsu's interactions with Nashi.


Based off of Luke Combs' _Even Though I'm Leaving._

Characters used belong to Hiro Mashima.

* * *

A thirty three year old Natsu stood up from reading a bedtime story to a five year old Nashi.

"Goodnight, my princess. I'll see you in the morning." Natsu said with a smile as he looked down at his daughter. He turned to walk to his own room.

"Daddy…." Nashi said as she pulled her blanket halfway up her face.

"Yes, baby?" Natsu asked as he turned back.

"…I'm afraid, can't you stay with me? Keep me safe 'cause there's monsters in the closet and outside." Nashi whimpered. Natsu chuckled in response.

"There's no monsters here, Nashi. You're daddy'd smell em." Natsu said as he gave her a reassuring grin before turning to leave again. As he reached for the light switch, Nashi jumped out of bed.

"Daddy ...please don't go, I don't wanna be alone. 'Cause the second that you're gone they're gonna know!" Nashi said as she wrapped her arms around Natsu's right leg and tears filled her eyes.

Natsu put his hand on her head to calm her, and began smoothing out her hair. Nashi began to calm down immediately. Seemed the Heartfilia girls all like getting their hair played with. He knelt down, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked her right in her eyes.

"Just 'cause I'm leavin', it don't mean that I won't be right by your side. When you need me

and you can't see me in the middle of the night, just close your eyes and say a prayer. It's okay, I know you're scared when I'm not here, but I'll always be right there. Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere." Natsu said soothingly. Nashi nodded and held her arms out.

Natsu wrapped her up in a big hug and lifted her like she weighed nothing before walking her over to her bed and tucking her in again.

"I'll be right next door, princess. Don't worry, I'll protect you from anything." Natsu said before kissing her forehead and walking out of the room. Nashi had a content smile on her face and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

"Daddy you're gonna make me late!" A 15 year old Nashi said as she dragged her 43 year old disgruntled dad toward the train station. "You know Sam don't like to wait! We gotta catch the train to reach Clover before night falls."

Natsu grumbled out something Nashi couldn't catch, but grudgingly started walking forward. Lucy just shook her head at her husband with a smile. Always the overprotective dragon when it comes to his family. It was time for Nashi's first mission without her family. She and a couple of other kids in the guild started a team and were heading on their first mission.

As the train station came into view, Natsu noticed his daughter had begun to tremble.

"Nashi! What's wrong?" Natsu said in a panic, thinking he hurt her feelings or something.

"I...I know I act tough, but there's a churnin' in my gut." Nashi said as Natsu snapped to attention. His daughter hadn't shown any signs of his motion sickness all the other times they rode a train to get to a job. "It's just...I'm worried 'cause I just can't depend on you or mom to help me out when things get rough."

Natsu and Lucy looked at each other and smiled. It seemed their little firecracker did still have a big soft side behind her tough girl act. Natsu spun his daughter to look at him, and put a hand on her head, causing her to look him in the eyes.

"Just 'cause you're leavin', it don't mean that I won't be right by your side. When you need me and you can't see me in the middle of the night, just close your eyes and say a prayer. It's okay, I know you're scared, I might be here, but I'll always be right there. Even though you're leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere." Natsu said with a soft smile that only his girls got to see. Lucy teared up at the cute interaction between father and daughter.

Tears fell down Nashi's cheeks as she remembered those words from so long ago. She smiled through her tears and let out a watery chuckle before wrapping her arms around her father's strong torso. Natsu and Nashi both reached out to Lucy and the small family of three stood there embracing each other for a few minutes before Nashi pulled away.

"I really need to go guys. I'll see you when I get home." Nashi said before taking off towards the train.

"She'll be fine." Lucy said as she rested her head on Natsu's shoulder.

"'Course she will. She's our daughter!" Natsu said proudly. Lucy smiled as she let the tears fall and nodded her agreement.

* * *

A few people were surrounding a 65 year old Natsu's sick bed in the infirmary. He didn't have much time left. Natsu, Lucy, and Nashi had gone on what was supposed to be an easy mission as a last hurrah for the two now grandparents. They didn't expect there to be dark mages in the area. Nor did they expect that any of them would know the spell to drain a mage's magic container, **Metsu**.

The mages managed to get both Nashi and Lucy with the spell before Natsu, in a blind rage, took them all out. He saw the love of his life and his little girl suffering from magic depletion, so he did the only thing he could think of. He took his magic, in its purest form, and forced it to replenish the girls' magic.

No one had ever heard of such a thing happening before, or thought it was possible. But that was what Natsu was known for; doing the impossible. However, in doing so, he pushed himself to the point of magic depletion. Much like Lucy's mother, Layla, Natsu managed to live a few more years, but he was on his last legs now.

Lucy, Nashi, and her kids rarely left the infirmary these days except when forced to by the other guild members. Lucy was the only one that refused to leave no matter what. They could see him weakening by the day. Watched as the life slowly left his eyes.

"Daddy, I'm afraid ...won't you stay a little while? I never thought I'd see the day I had to say goodbye." A thirty seven year old Nashi cried one day when Natsu was looking particularly weak. All the monitors and such showed his body was shutting down. "Daddy, please don't go! I can't do this on my own! There's no way that I can walk this road alone."

Natsu reached out his right hand towards his daughter's voice. He didn't have the energy to turn his head anymore. Nashi clasped on to it and held it to her cheek. Everyone waited silently for what Natsu was going to say.

"Just 'cause I'm leavin', it don't mean that I won't be right by your side. When you need me and you can't see me in the middle of the night, just close your eyes and say a prayer. It's okay, baby, I ain't scared. I won't be here, but I'll always be right there. Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere." Natsu weakly replied. Lucy grabbed his left hand and held it just like Nashi was holding his right. Erza, Gray, Wendy, Lucy, Mira, and Lisanna were in the room visiting Natsu on this particular day. They all began silently bawling as they realized this was Natsu's goodbye.

Natsu forced himself to look at his wife and smile at her, before slowly turning to his daughter.

"Look at all of the people here that care for you. You won't ever be alone. You, your husband, and your kids are surrounded by the greatest family you could ever ask for. None of you will be alone." Natsu whispered. Everyone began crying with more fervor at this.

"I love…" Natsu trailed off as the monitors showed he had flatlined. Natsu Dragneel lay dead, with a smile on his face.


End file.
